Left Behind
by S.Walden
Summary: The Chosen Children have finally unlocked Vamdemon's Gate, but Yamato Ishida finds himself too late to enter and quickly learns two things: the digital world is changing, fast, and no one is coming to rescue him. Borrows from V-Tamer and Dark Ocean lightly. Jyoumato implied.
1. Chapter 1: It's All in the Cards

Left Behind: Chapter 1

Episode 28: It's All In the Cards

The news of another Chosen Child was such a shock to us. None of us had thought about the possibility of other kids like us before, since we had been so alone here. I, especially, began to ponder the thought that we weren't all that special. I didn't have time to linger on that, though, as we all started off towards the flashing searchlight. We wandered into the Old Man's home and he explained a lot of things that still didn't make any sense nor matter to me... until he pointed out Hikarigoaka on a map.

I had lived there once, when my family was still together. I had this weird mix of hatred and love for the place and when I said the name aloud it sounded strange to me. Taichi just thought I was surprised to recognize that that was where Vamdemon was, but no. That was fear leaping out of my throat. So many things I didn't want to well up inside me, things I had put behind me.

"Show us how to open the gate, already!" Taichi demanded, anxious to get the ball rolling. We all followed Gennai into a room. I found Jyou standing closer to me each time we moved from one place to another. I wasn't annoyed, really, just worried someone might notice.

Taichi and Takeru were the only ones that had been there during the whole event at the diner, but only the Digimon, to an extent, and Jyou and I really knew what had transpired there and we hadn't really the chance to talk about it since. We had to split up and I couldn't leave Takeru again. Honestly, by that point I was fucking sick of Jyou's face, even though I was beginning to realize that friendship wasn't the only emotion unlocked inside of me that afternoon. Standing next to him now, I could hear the faint memories of his whispers in my ear, telling me everything was okay. He knew my darkest secret now and that scared me. Was I sweating because I feared he would tell at the next opportunistic moment or because I just felt his hand brush against mine?

Later, when we finally got a chance to sleep, I was happy to have Takeru next to me. Jyou slept across the room. Niether of us really was sure about our feelings right now and I was still trying to fill the hole left in me from all those months without my little brother around. He gave me purpose. I just didn't realize how much until much later.

Needless to say, I slept soundly, but I could tell by Jyou's exhausted look the next morning that he hadn't slept much at all. He was probably worrying about the outcome of the cards. I didn't really care. For all I cared, I never made it back home. My brother and I could stay here, together, forever, not living a life of fear. Loneliness.

Not soon after, we raided Vamdemon's fortress. I would soon be entering my future tomb, of sorts. We had all gathered and talked for a long while about how to affix the cards. "Weak, average, strong one?" I wondered aloud.

"Even if we decide, we can't be sure," Jyou reminded everyone. He was good at that- reminding us of the reality of things. I hated that.

"Yeah, but..." I started. He glanced over at me. I glanced back at him. No one else seemed to notice.

"The castle... The castle is falling down!" Patamon cried behind us.

"Then, there's no way out," someone said.

"Taichi," Jyou stated. The goggle-head stared blankly back. "I think you should decide."

"Eh? Why me?" he retorted, crossing his arms.

_Really, Taichi?_ I thought.

"I trust you," Jyou explained.

"Yeah, me too," I said. "We need a leader. Without you, we fell apart!"

"But... well," Taichi wanted to weasel out of it on the surface, but we all reminded him that we were a team and all supported his decision. His courage truly showed as he put his faith in us. We figured out more of the puzzle as the rumbling became more frequent and eventually, Taichi still weaseled out of it by putting Koushiro in charge. It was a smart move, though. I couldn't say I wouldn't want the most knowledgable one making this kind of decision. Koushiro deducted where all the cards fit, save Agumon and Gomamon.

Sometimes, looking back, I wondered what would happen if we had chosen that Agumon card. What if the world we entered wasn't bad? Why did everyone have to be so negative? I mean, they all had such great things to go back to, but me... Anything would be better than going home. Well, that's what I thought at the time.

Then, a rumbling different from before. We all turned: a huge monster- Vamdemon's guardian: Dokugumon. As Taichi struggled, we all fought. I watched as that twisted spider put Garurumon, Togemon, and Ikkakumon in slings. Mine was the only Digimon capable of moving further: "Garurumon!"

He quickly evolved and began to take down the evil monster. I turned back to Taichi, "There's no time, hurry up and decide!" I demanded.

Then, Taichi finally listened to me and the gate began to open. Everyone was already halfway through when I turned back to WereGarurumon. He was still struggling with the giant arachnid. "We have to go, too!" I cried. I could see Mimi's silhoutte. I didn't see Jyou. He had probably been one of the first to go. I made sure Takeru was and I figured that Jyou was protecting him. Jyou had faith in me that I would catch up. They all did.

"I'm taking you all to Hell with me!" the Digimon cried. WereGarurumon destroyed him before he could utter another word, but when we turned back... the door was closed.


	2. Chapter 2: (Almost) Home Free

Left Behind: Chapter 2

Episode 29: (Almost) Home Free

As I caught Tsunomon in my arms, we both watched in shock as the echo of the gate rang in our ears. We had been left behind. We didn't have time to take it all in as the castle crumbled around us. Luckily, any Digimon with any sense would have fled by now if they hadn't been killed in the decay.

I dodged a huge falling hunk of the ceiling and managed to fall into an interesting crevice that just barely protected the two of us. Tsunomon was shivering in my arms- his hair was standing on end. He was so scared. I brushed his cheek, wet fur tickling my fingertips. If he was crying over the fear, I could live with that, but if he was silently blaming himself, I wouldn't stand for it.

"It's gonna be okay," I whispered, holding him close to me. Never had I felt such a need not to be alone- the fear of death forcing tears down my cheeks. Something I swore would never happen. Now, only Tsunomon could see the weakest side of me as the floor fell out from beneath us.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw a pale, blue light on a plain old ceiling. For a moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream and I was home again. Dad would be walking towards my bedroom door, like he often did in the middle of the night, to make sure I was safe. After all, he blamed himself for letting me get hurt, and that was his only redemption. But no... Tsunomon nuzzled into my aching ribs in his sleep, his horn fitting snug under my arm.

"Where... are we?" I whispered. Other areas of my body being racked with pain suddenly lit up. I clenched my teeth. Perhaps I had broken something.

"You're awake! Good!"

"Gennai," I breathed, turning my head to look at him. He was holding a tray of tea in the doorway. I saw the rolled up futons we had slept on the night before.

"Hmm... I heard the rumbling of the castle's destruction. I went to see if any Digimon needed my help and instead... I find you."

"Gennai, the Gate was destroyed," I groaned, "What am I going to do?!"

"Relax. You need to recover first. Apparently humans take awhile to do that sort of thing," Gennai chuckled, "I'll see if I can find another way to the physical world. Let me know if you need anything." Gennai started for the door and I looked back up at the ceiling. "That goes for you, too, little Digimon."

Tsunomon twisted next to me, almost in defiance.

"Tsunomon..." I whispered. Gennai left. I watched the fish dance on the other side of the glass. They reminded me of Gomamon's marching fishes, which in turn reminded me of Jyou. He would be fretting over me like a mother hen right about now, whether he was here or not. "Tsunomon, this wasn't your fault. We just had some bad luck is all."

"...I know," he sobbed. "I let you down, though."

"I understand how you feel," I replied. I wanted to encourage him, but that wasn't in my nature. Instead, I patted him on the side of the head. "Just let me know if you need anything, buddy."

"Do you... think..." Tsunomon began, shifting himself and then leaping onto my chest, "...the others know we're gone?"

"We don't even know if they chose the right card," I admitted. "I'm sure everyone else is okay and that they're looking for a way to come get us. Taichi would never leave a team member behind... right?"

"But if they don't find the 8th child," Tsunomon said, one of his fangs sticking out, "Then we'll never defeat Vamdemon."

"...yeah, I guess I would be second priority. We will just have to wait until they show up. Tops, it takes them a few days, right?"

A grumble from the door. I turned to see Gennai again. "Sorry," he coughed, "I don't mean to eavesdrop. I had no luck in my library and I will be leaving for a bit to find more information because I have some terrible news."

"What?" Tsunomon wondered.

"There is a greater threat than Vamdemon," Gennai sighed.

"What? You're kidding!" I remarked, shooting up in the bed. Tsunomon rolled back onto my ankles and tossed around until he uprighted himself.

"They call themselves the Dark Masters. They were previously disposing of the Digimon Sovereigns, the four Harmonious Ones that protect our world. Now, with Vamdemon gone, they plan to continue with their scheme."

"...and what is that?"

"Look outside," Gennai urged, walking over to the window behind me. He opened it. In the sky, above the lake, there was some odd tower.

"What is that?"

"Spiral Mountain... well, the framework of it. See, they are reconfiguring our world," Gennai sighed. "They will shape it into their own desires."

"We have to stop them!" I cried. "Screw Vamdemon, we need to take care of these guys first."

"Well, the thing is... there's another problem," Gennai sat down this time. "See, I found out about a prophecy that your friends will need to destroy Vamdemon. However, if I have inferred most of the information correctly, they will need you to do it."

"Me... but I'm stuck here."

"Yes, this is very unfortunate. Which is why I'm heading out immediately."

"Gennai," I urged. "What about those... Dark Masters?"

"Hmm, well. You should be safe here. If anything happens, go to a place you know is safe."

"...nowhere is safe in the Digi-World," I replied.

"I'll protect him Gennai!" Tsunomon replied. "Don't worry."

Gennai chuckled, "Yes, you're a very loyal Digimon, Tsunomon. Oh... and one more thing." Gennai reached into his pocket and removed something. Two tiny metal objects. "These are made of chrome Digi-Zoid." They were formed into the shape of "Z". "If you run into an absolute emergency, you can use them, but... well, they will take a special power to work. I'm sorry I can't help more."

"Have you ever?" I smirked.

He huffed at me and I heard him gather his things and head out the door. I laid back down again. Tsunomon had nuzzled in between my ankles and fallen asleep. The battle and the stress had taken such a toll, I was surprised he hadn't de-evolved into Punimon. I passed the time playing my harmonica, but then I grew hungry and decided to go scavenge Gennai's fridge... or whatever the heck Digi-like-beings kept their food in. I managed to find some kind of fruit I hoped was safe for consumption and brought some back for Tsunomon. After he ate, he managed to evolve, and I could see he was feeling a little better. "We're safe here," I reminded him.

"I know," Gabumon replied, "But Yamato... what are we going to do?"

"We need to think of what steps to take..." I agreed. "We can scratch going home off the list... and to be honest... I'm not sure if I wanted to go anyway."

"Does this have to do with your mother?" Gabumon questioned.

"All that stuff I told Jyou, yeah..."

"I miss the others," Gabumon said, ooching up next to me and eating another piece of fruit. "But I can't imagine being stuck in a world that wasn't your own, with no family or anything, Yamato. I know you miss Takeru, too."

"He's in good hands..." I muttered. _Taichi..._

"Maybe we can find something Gennai overlooked in his library," Gabumon suggested.

I looked over at the bedside table. Next to the bowl of fruit was the two Z shaped Digi-Zoid pieces. "What the Hell am I supposed to do with these?" I asked.

"I think those are called Z'd," Gabumon whispered.

"Zeed?"

"Legendary Digi-Zoid that can evolve a Digimon to a new level," my Digimon explained, as if he were telling some kind of ghost story.

"Well, that Old Guy still has a few tricks up his sleeve, Gabumon. I think he knows we aren't safe here... We should try and gather up an emergency kit of some kind."

"Sounds like you've been hanging around Jyou too long," Gabumon chuckled.

"Oh, shut up!" I exclaimed, turning away and trying to hide the redness in my cheeks. I stood and stormed into the back of the house. When he didn't follow, I remarked, "You're not just a ball of fluff anymore... you can walk, you know."

"I had been Tsunomon so long, I'd almost forgotten!" he piped cheerfully and hopped down from our death bed and followed me into the next room. There was quite a bit of Gennai's house we hadn't seen yet. He was definetly a collector of ancient artifacts. In particular I noted a tablet featuring Leomon. This whole place may as well have been a museum or a library.

I entered the room with all the filing cabinets. They had been rifled through as if a secret agent had come looking for something. "Wow, whoever these Dark Master guys are, Gennai's serious..." I said, trying to see if there was any method to the madness of scattered papers. Most of them revolved around Vamdemon's Gate and were probably remnants from the day before. Still, I wondered... "Gabumon, why don't you think he told us about these Dark Masters before we left?"

"...we aren't strong enough," he admitted. "This Prophecy he mentioned... involving you, Yamato... was probably the key to that. Now that it won't be happening, what do we do?"

"I'm as clueless as you, Gabumon. I can't make heads or tails of most of this stuff, anyway. Why don't we find a bag and go gather some supplies? It's not like I wanna be here when that Old Guy gets back. I'm sure we can find the answers ourselves."

"Yamato, it's not safe out there. Gennai said the Dark Masters are reformating the world-"

"He said we need to find somewhere safe to go, meaning this place isn't safe as you may think. Come on."

We went into another back room and found a medicine cabinet. I unloaded whatever was there, which included bandages, healing discs for Gabumon, and other essentials. Jyou would kill me if I didn't grab the _essentials_.

As I held a roll of gauze in my hand I wondered, "Jyou... he won't leave me here, right?"

Gabumon trotted over to me, looking up into the canopy of blonde locks of hair as my cobalt eyes stared off at the tile floor. "If no one else, he will, Yamato."

I crushed the roll of gauze in my hand and stuffed it into the bag. "Come on. Some food and we're gone."

"Where will we go?" Gabumon asked.

"The diner," I replied. "That's the safest place I know... and the only place Jyou would know to find me."

* * *

I awoke to my own shivering. I had landed somewhere cold and wet, and I could hear the voices of the others- all except one. I checked my glasses, amazed that all that time spent in the Digi-World, I had never had to use my spare. I felt around, not finding Gomamon. Or any of the other Digimon.

"Home!" Taichi cried. "Well, back at camp at least!"

"Where are the Digimon?"

"Maybe we chose wrong after all," Sora started.

"Hey," came the relaxing sound of Gomamon's attitude, "You guys can't get rid of us that easily."

"But..." Agumon began.

"What is it, buddy?" Taichi questioned.

"Yamato and Gabumon are missing," Palmon pointed out.

All of us glanced around. Sure enough, that was the voice I had felt was absent before. My stomach sank. "Did we choose wrong?"

"No, I don't believe so," Koushiro said. "Simply, it seems he missed entering the Gate."

"You mean... he's stuck in the Digital World without us?" Sora cried.

"We can't just leave him," Mimi pleaded.

"Wait just a second," Taichi said, trying to calm everyone down. "We're sure he hasn't just wandered off?"

"No, there's no sign of them," Yokomon pointed out.

"Then, let's go back and get him," I demanded.

"Have you forgotten what Gennai said, Jyou?" Taichi started. "We need to find the 8th Child."

"Then just one of us should go back and at least help him!" Takeru cried. "My brother's stuck there all alone!"

I watched as the boy's eyes began to gloss over. Taichi hugged the kid close, then got that determined look in his eyes, "I'll go."

"What?" everyone cried.

"I'm the leader. He said so himself. I should go," Taichi replied.

"No," I interjected, stepping forward.

"Jyou..." Gomamon whispered.

"I'm the oldest. I'm responsible. Yamato also reminded you that this group fell apart without you. You all won't miss me, right?"

"Don't be like that," Sora lectured.

I smiled, "I'm not. What I mean is, my crest is the only one that hasn't glowed... I'm really of no use to you guys here anywway."

"...I never realized that," Koushiro said.

"Me either..." Mimi whispered.

"How do you plan to get back?" Koushiro continued and we would've gone on about a million theories if we hadn't heard the voice of our teacher calling. He didn't sound happy, either.

"Hey! What are you all still doing here? Go get packed up."

"Packed up?"

"Everyone's heading home because of the snow. We need to escort you all immediately in case it gets any worse. Now, let me do a quick head count..." Mr. Fujiyama grabbed his roster and looked around. We all exchanged glances. He didn't even notice the Digimon because he was too busy noticing that six clearly did not equal seven. "Ishida... Kido, where is he?"

Takeru was still crying into Taichi's side. "I'm not sure, Teacher."

"You were responsible, Jyou," Fujiyama sighed. "We will both be reprimanded, even if we find him... and if we don't..."

"I'm very sorry," I said, bowing until my shoulders ached. "I... I wasn't aware anyone else was missing when I came to get this group."

"...well, I'll call the police. All of you head to the bus. You're being taken home."

"Mr. Fujiyama!" Taichi started. "We need to go to Hikarigoaka!"

"That's enough," the man insisted. "I'm taking you all straight home. You can work out whatever trip you have planned with your parents." Mr. Fujiyama started down the hill, "Three minutes!"

The group exchanged glances. Hikarigoaka was where Vamdemon was. They had to get there.

"I say we run for it," Taichi began. "Otherwise, we might miss Vamdemon. What if he already has the 8th child in his hands as we're standing here?"

I sighed, "We'll regroup tomorrow. There's no way you guys could get any searching done if I go missing too and we're all under house arrest."

Mimi wiped away a tear. I could see that Taichi was angry. Angry at Yamato, angry at himself, angry at me... Takeru clung to him like a security blanket. I was a little hurt that the kid had taken to Taichi so easily. Yamato did the best he could and the worries the blonde had shared with me at the diner were all slowly becoming a reality. Then, I remembered:

_"Jyou... what if... we never go back? What if we just... stayed? Is this place really all that bad?"_

"Yamato," I hissed under my breath, "If you did this on purpose..."

Gomamon always caught me talking to myself, "Jyou, he wouldn't abandon us. We're his friends, remember?"

"...yeah. We can't abandon him, either, Gomamon. In the last few minutes I have figured out something terribly important."

"What is that?"

I glanced at Koushiro. He had been listening to me as well as we all followed Teacher to the buses. Mimi rushed ahead, trying to keep her mind off of things by talking to her friends. "Time..." Koushiro whispered. "I would deduct that in the last few minutes approximately..."

"An entire week has passed."


	3. Chapter 3: The 8th Promise

Left Behind: Chapter 3

Episode 34: The 8th Promise

A/N: I struggled with this chapter a bit. I may go back and do a tiny rewrite later on. Natsuko's personality may be a bit confusing here, especially if you aren't aware of my headcanon for her, BUT I promise all will be explained in time. Please R&R! :3

Gabumon and I were just heading out when a rumbling above ground stopped us.

"River of POWER!"

The ceiling rumbled and Gabumon rushed over to me. We were both reminded of the entire castle incident once more. "What the heck was that?"

"This is my territory, scrap-face!"

"You undersized drill bit, this is MY lake now!"

"In MY forest! I'm King of the forest!"

Gabumon and I listened at the door. Another explosion: "Puppet Pummel!"

We both cringed at the blast. All of the colorful fish darted for the opposite direction. The door was barely hanging on the hinges, now. The water above was beginning to trickle away and reveal the house!

"We better run, Yamato."

"Yeah," I said, hoisting the bag over my shoulder. How was I supposed to know we would be running for an entire week? During that time, the Digital World began to change drastically. Weather was random. Digimon turned violent or disappeared altogether. That was only the beginning. "We'll go to the diner, Gabumon, and Jyou will be there," I said, trying to convince myself that this nightmare within a dream was going to end and I would wake up next to Jyou any minute now...

* * *

I couldn't sleep on the way home. What was my dad gonna think when he found out I had been forced out of an entire day of class as punishment for losing Yamato?

"It's not really your fault," Gomamon tried to reassure me. "Jyou, what's wrong? I don't understand why you're so... nervous."

"I forget you Digimon don't have mothers and fathers," I replied, making sure no one was staring at us. We had found a pretty secluded part of the subway to sit in. "Basically, school is my life because it's my father's life. Our whole family has become renown doctors and I'm just another grain in the bowl."

"Huh?"

"Missing a class is like failing an exam, Gomamon," I hissed. "Not to mention humiliating."

"...can't you explain to them?"

"Oh, yeah, let's just tell the Board of Education a kid I've technically never met just disappeared in an entirely otherworld filled with computer monsters."

"Good point," Gomamon said. I felt him slouch in the bag, giving it a dead weight. "Well, I'll be there for you, Jyou."

"I wish... Mom would do something..." Jyou whispered. "Why did I have to be more like her? Why couldn't I be like Shuu and Shin?"

The remainder of the bus ride was silent. I figured Gomamon had long since fallen asleep, after all, we had left the camp around one, after the cops had arrived, questioned everyone, and sealed off the place. I noticed Takeru wasn't taking things as badly as I figured, which I guess was a good sign. Mr. Fujiyama escorted him back to his mother's and I knew that there is no way Yamato would stand for that. "He would't have stayed, Gomamon. When he was here, Yamato knew Takeru would be safe. Natsuko's scared of him, after all."

"I don't understand, Jyou..." Gomamon said, yawning. "I thought mothers and fathers were the source of the egg you came from. They're like us and protect and love you, right?"

"Humans are complicated," I said. "Parents vary."

"Then, is your dad Digimon bad like Takeru's mom Digimon? Are they viruses, Jyou?"

"...may as well be, Gomamon..." I whispered.

The ride was over not long after and I quickly made my way home. If Dad heard about the camp closure before I was saying "I'm home!" then there was going to be even more problems. I rushed up the stairs, reminding Gomamon to be quiet. On the way, I noticed Koushiro with his parents. I never even knew we lived in the same complex. I entered and announced that I was home. Shin was away at college, but Shuu was probably in his room, studying. Dad... was probably in his office. As I removed my shoes, I heard him come out from his office. He stared at me and I stared back. I could hear dishes in the next room and smell miso soup bubbling up from the stove. The living room was dark, the hall was dark. Only the dining room and kitchen had the lights on. Dad always said light was a distraction. I don't know how many times I had been forced to study by candlelight for dropping a bulb or knocking over a lamp on the rare occasion my brother's and I did rough-house.

I bowed and began to explain, but my dad walked calmly over to me and grabbed my collar. "Your teacher called. Said a student went missing under your watch and you'll be missing your first day back."

"Y-Yes," I stammered. I didn't dare try to convince him that it wasn't my fault or that I could always make up a missed day with extra studying. He was already formulating how long I was going to be locked away for. It was no wonder I had little to no social skills, when my giant nose was always in books.

"You won't be standing outside the classroom all day, either. You're going to be here, sitting at that table, reading every book from Shin's Anatomy shelf."

"Yes sir," I breathed. He finally let go. I stifled a cough until he returned to his office, then released the tension in my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, the woman in the kitchen glanced over at me.

"Mom..." I whispered, meeting her gaze. She turned away from me. I could feel Gomamon's paw reach out to touch my hand. He wasn't the only one around here who had no idea what a family was...

* * *

Gabumon and I had no way to sneak past the two Digimon fighting above. We had to go straight through. "I guess you could evolve..."

"Yamato, I'm as positive as the next Digimon, but look at them...!"

The giant seamonster with the punk accent was MetalSeadramon. He swirled around the other Digimon- a tiny little thing called Pinocchiomon, then fired another River of Power attack. The blast nearly knocked Gabumon and I from our feet. I was still sore and I wasn't moving my best as it was. Everything around us was disintegrating from the blasts.

"MY forest, MY lake!" demanded Pinocchiomon. He fired back again. I knew that they were fighting over territory, which meant they must have been two of the Dark Masters Gennai had spoken about.

"Let's sneak past while they fight," I said.

Gabumon followed me up the steps, "Now that sounds like a good idea."

The two Digimon argued like children above us. For some reason, I found myself locking eyes with Pinocchiomon just for a second. Almost like we knew one another. Then, MetalSeadramon flipped his tail and it clanked against Pinocchiomon's metal under-eye. His little red cap fell and you could see the steam rising from his gears as he swung wildly and blindly at the giant sea serpent.

Gabumon grabbed my arm and we rushed to the forest edge. At first we ran as far as we could, but then I found my legs burning with each step. The large gash Gennai had repaired wouldn't heal for a while, especially if I re-opened it. The stitches were beginning to pop. I clenched my teeth and looked around. Not too far from us was at least some clearing in the foliage, but not an actual clearing itself. Gabumon helped me over and we waited in quiet to see if the Dark Lords had chased us. Thankfully, no.

"Yamato, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay," I replied. "Those guys were scary, huh?"

"I'll say... Now what? I don't recognize anything, Yamato. This is the forest we came from but I don't even detect any familiar scents..."

"Have they already started to warp the forest?" I breathed.

"Possibly..."

I laid there and caught my breath for a moment. _Damn it, Jyou. You promised... You promised me!  
_

* * *

I started obsessing over how many minutes had passed for me. Each one was a day for Yamato. If I waited through morning to find him, nearly two years would pass!

Gomamon watched with worry as I scrambled to calculate in my brain how long it had been. My shadow was an accurate reflection of myself given off by my desk lamp. Almost five P.M., but still I usually kept the blinds closed as my father said that was yet another distraction. Anyway, that meant I had been home for four hours, which was two-hundred and forty minutes... just under a year _already_. I began to pull my hair out. "I can't wait for the group to make up their minds!" I cried. Gomamon crawled across my bed and over to my desk.

"Then, what are we still sitting around here, for?" he asked me with that big goofy smile of his.

"You're right... But there is one thing I must do before I go. And even then, I still don't know how to get back to the Digi-World."

"You'll think of something, Jyou."

I gathered my things and Gomamon, then checked outside my bedroom door. I didn't see my father. He was probably still in his office. Mom was finishing up dinner. I needed to be gone before then. I slipped out the door and against the wall like a secret agent, slowly sliding down towards the front door. I quietly and carefully opened it, then grabbed my shoes and slipped out.

"Jyou?"

I started to scream, but then I realized it was just Shuu. "What are you... doing, scaring me like that?!"

"What are you doing sneaking around?"

"Look, I don't have time to explain. Every minute is wasting time," I muttered, slipping on my shoes.

"Jyou, Dad already told me about the discipline you got from the school, and now you're running away from home? Haven't you tried this once before?"

_Don't remind me_, I thought.

Shuu was watching after me one afternoon...

_"Jyou, don't forget to be careful. If Dad even finds out I took you here, he'll have my head."_

_"I hate studying," I told him. I was only six at the time, just having started school. My father was a hard ass from the beginning, making me do my homework twice over and then giving me his own approved advanced work on top of it. Shin said that's how things were and Shuu just didn't want my father to beat us. "I don't want to study. I want to play like all the other kids."_

_I watched as a boy with big hair kicked a soccer ball over to his sister, who, thanks to being raised in a family of doctor's, didn't appear to be too well._

_"Look, it's not like you can just drop off the earth, Jyou. You have responsibilities."_

_I sneezed. Even my body wanted to reject this stupid place. I went and played on the jungle gym... well under it. I wasn't allowed to climb it. Slowly, I guess that sort of thing was where my fear of heights came from. _

_When Shuu was distracted by the EMS that had appeared, I made a run for it. I didn't care about anything except how far my feet could take me._

"It's different this time. It's not your fault. I can take the blame for my own decisions... or the appropriate punishment."

"Jyou... What happened to you at camp? You're different."

"I am. I have a friend and I made a promise to him. A promise he wouldn't be alone."

"I won't tell Dad, but when do you plan on coming back?"

"...maybe never," I smiled.

"Wha-Wha-Never?" Shuu wondered as I brushed past him and headed down the stairs. "Jyou! Is this about that kid? Jyou! Let the police handle it!"

I heard Shuu run into the house, but I didn't have time to think about them. I had piddled here long enough. I should have been watching out for Yamato. I should have been the last one to stay and make sure he got through. He has family that loves him. A father that I owe an apology to.

* * *

Natsuko closed the door, hugging Takeru close to her. She cried, but it was frustration, not sadness that escaped her.

Her youngest looked up at her. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"How could you loose him?" she demanded, grabbing Takeru's arm. "He's your brother."

"Momma," Takeru whined. "Let go. I can take care of myself. So can Oniichan."

"I can't believe... Yamato's gone..." Natsuko thought. She felt a bit dizzy and sat down over on the couch. Takeru wasn't too sure what to do... he hadn't seen her this upset since Yamato told her he refused to ever look at her again. Takeru still wasn't sure why, but he knew it had to do with why his brother was so overprotective of him.

"Momma, Oniichan's okay. I know he is," Takeru said.

"You know... where he is, Takeru?"

"Well... not exactly," the boy whispered.

Natsuko urged Takeru closer to her. "Tell me where he is. No one will blame you, Takeru, and your brother won't be in any trouble."

"I don't know where he is," Takeru cried. Patamon watched silently from across the small living room.

Natsuko laughed, "Takeru... I have been waiting for you two to come back from camp, because I miss your brother. I want to see my little boy again. If you know something, you tell me."

Takeru usually teared up when he was afraid, but he didn't understand, so he couldn't justify any crying. He had to be strong for his brother, who stayed behind so they could come home and rescue the 8th child. Perhaps his mother's worries were making her act all crazy. Takeru had once heard his father say that Mommy loved Yamato too much and that was why they couldn't be together anymore.

Natsuko chuckled to herself and went to the back of the hall and opened the closet. Takeru couldn't see what she was doing, but then the phone began to ring. Takeru rushed over to answer it.

"Oh, little Takeru, is that you?"

"Grammy!" Takeru exclaimed, "Mommy, it's Grammy!"

Natsuko hurried back down the hall, then grabbed the reciever, "What do you want?"

"Don't talk to me that way, you demon," the woman replied. All that Takeru could hear was a muffled voice. "Now, what have you done with my Yamato?"

"Nothing! How dare you accuse me-" Natusko turned to Takeru. "Please, honey, go to your room. I'm talking to Grandma."

Takeru did as he was told, not forgetting to take Patamon with him first.

"How dare you accuse me of taking my own son," Natsuko snapped.

"I don't trust you. I talked to Hiroaki and I told him I want Takeru dropped off in Shimane with us. He's not safe there."

"He's MY son and he'll stay with me," Natsuko demanded.

"I don't think so," Grandma Ishida replied sternly. "I'll see you in the morning or have you arrested for kidnapping. Don't even lay a hand on my little Takeru."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Only of poor Yamato," the other sighed, hanging up the phone.

"Oh!" Natsuko said, slamming down the reciever. "That woman..."

"Mommy... are we visiting Grammy?"

_Natsuko, this could be your chance. Get Takeru to tell you where Yamato is, drop him off in Shimane, then have your son all to yourself again. After all, a day hasn't gone by where you don't think about him._

"Takeru, we will, but only if you tell me where Yamato is," she said kindly.

"I don't know," the boy replied.

Natsuko reached into her apron and pulled out the gun she had obtained from the closet. She pointed it at Takeru. "Be a good boy," she ordered, then touched her temple. She squinted her eyes as if she were in pain.

"I'll tell you if we go to Shimane!" the boy cried, looking back over at Patamon. The little orange pig waited patiently and would strike given the necessity.

"No..." Natsuko breathed, dropping the gun. "Takeru..."

"Mommy?" Takeru walked over to his mother. Something was definetly wrong. She knealt down, still touching her forehead. "What's wrong? Do you have a headache?"

"Let me... call your father... we'll meet him in Shimane."

"Something's wrong..." Takeru whispered as his mother stood. She began to dial the number for her ex-husband. As she did so, she couldn't remove her eyes from the weapon on the floor. She hadn't seen the thing since her son last used it... she didn't even remember grabbing it from the closet...

* * *

Hiroaki Ishida had just gotten off his feet. He would have been home the entire day if the whole town wasn't obsessing over a kid gone missing at the summer camp... _His kid_. "Yamato... running away isn't the answer to your problems..."

Then, a knock on the door. Hiroaki glanced at the clock. Eight P.M. Who would drop by so late? He peered through the peephole and saw a tuft of dark blue hair. When the shape shifted, he could see a tall, lanky male with glasses. He was carrying a bag.

Hiroaki cracked the door, "May I help you? This is the Ishida Residence."

"Oh! The right one, finally... I knew the complex but not the apartment number... Yamato never told me that. Oh, uh, my manners... My name is Jyou Kido."

"Come in," Hiroaki offered. I'm sure I looked tired and there was a bruise on my arm from where my father had grabbed me earlier. The bag I was carrying was putting a strain on my back, too. They lived on the thirteenth floor, so it also didn't help that I was out of breath.

"Thank you," I said, bowing. I entered the apartment. Everything was how Yamato had described it to me, right down to his father still wearing week-old work clothes. I removed my shoes and set down the bag. I gave it a little pat to let Gomamon know it was okay. "I'm sorry to drop by suddenly. I was at camp with your son, Yamato."

Hiroaki eyed the emergency supply bag. "You're the group leader. They wouldn't let me interview you, earlier."

"You just got back from the camp?"

"I'm a reporter, but you seem to know me more than I know you... for someone who has only known my son for maybe an hour, and then he goes missing. I'm interested in why you came here."

_ Wow, this guy is smart_, I thought. "I came to apologize. I didn't mean to leave Yamato behind."

"Leave him behind?"

"Well... word this differently... loose him?" Jyou started.

"What do you know?"

"...I merely came to apologize and tell you that I'm fixing everything," Jyou said, picking up the bag again. Hiroaki gently grabbed his shoulder and pulled the boy back around.

"You didn't come all this way just for that. What is it?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"It's a long story..." Jyou began, meeting the other at the dining table. _Yamato did say this was basically your couch. _

"I'm sure Yamato's told you I have no life outside work..." Hiroaki chuckled. "Come sit down and tell me whatever it is you know. I don't see a reason for you to lie to me. After all, I saw your train pass. You live pretty far."

So, I explained to Yamato's father everything that had happened, although I left out some of the more intimate details about us. Still, he seemed to get the gist of things.

"So, can I come out now?" Gomamon whined.

"Oh, shoot!" I said, scrambling for the tote bag. I unzipped it and let Gomamon out.

"Well, hello there," Hiroaki greeted. Gomamon smiled. "So, that's a Digimon..."

"Yes, and well... the thing is, after we went through the gate, we realized, Yamato didn't make it through."

"So, he's trapped there. You'll rescue him?"

"I have to. I promised Yamato something and I won't go back on that."

"You promised him? Doesn't sound like my son, to believe in promises..."

"Nevertherless," I insisted, "I'll make sure he knows that there are people you can trust in this world and that I won't turn my back on him."

The phone began to ring. Hiroaki answered it. I studied his face for a moment. His eyes grew tense. I saw him reach for a cigarette and light it. He hadn't a smoke in the entire half hour we had been talking- which, by my count now, was another month that had gone by in the Digital World. Yamato was fading away with every breath. "Hiroaki," I squeaked. I covered my mouth. How informal and rude of me! _Ugh, Jyou, what's the matter with you?_

He turned to me, but didn't seem to mind. He was arguing with the person on the other end of the line. "Shimane? I agree it's the safest thing for Takeru... Natsuko, you don't sound alright... Natsuko?" He held the phone away. No answer.

"...your wife?" I whispered.

Hiroaki nodded. "She says my mother called. I talked to her earlier about the possibility of having Takeru visit, but my mother... She wants Takeru to stay there permenantly. Natsuko... doesn't sound herself, either."

"Oh, a disagreement," I replied. "Shimane is pretty far."

"...have you thought about how to get back to the Digital World?" Hiroaki quickly changed the subject. However, it didn't leave his mind as he began to look for his wallet and keys.

"Well, we got there through what I would assume was a dimensional rift... Our Digivices, these things, lead us." I held up the device for him to see.

"A rift, you say?" Hiroaki stopped what he was doing. "Well, it's going to sound silly... but after that story you told me, what wouldn't sound insane?"

"...your theory, sir?"

"Yaegaki Shrine and the Mirror Pond," Hiroaki replied. He chuckled a moment, then motioned for me to stand. Something was on his mind...


	4. Chapter 4: Darkness Comes Calling

Left Behind: Chapter 4

Episode 35: Darkness Comes Calling

I've been in the Digital World almost a month now. I'm scared because I'm starting to loose hope. We managed to find our way into some forest... and never find our way out. I had camped enough with my Dad to know my own bearings and Gabumon had a really good nose, but neither helped.

All the trees looked the same. Then, they didn't look the same. They were in constant change. We were probably going around in circles and had no way to tell. The tower was our only hint at a direction, but even using it as a guide proved worthless. Perhaps the forest floor itself was warping.

"Gabumon..." I gasped, "Look." I pointed straight ahead. Somehow we had stumbled onto a small city. "Finally, a place to rest. And food!"

"Yamato," Gabumon started, but I rushed on ahead, like Taichi probably would. I was probably losing my mind in there. I felt a breath of fresh air in the tiny city. "Yamato, stop!"

I did and turned to my Digimon, "What?"

"You haven't noticed?"

I turned and took a minute to take in the city. The Digimon were all staring at me. There was a PicoDevimon running a fruit stand. A group of Pagumon were playing in the street before they noticed me. A Dobermon barked somewhere.

"Yamato, we should go."

"No, don't go," said a voice from the crowd of virus Digimon that had gathered. "You're... a human."

Yamato felt Gabumon nuzzle up to his leg. The Digimon that spoke slowly revealed himself. He looked like Patamon, but he was black in color. "A Tsukaimon," Gabumon said.

"Yep, that's me," it said. "This is the village of the Wind Guardians and you're tresspassing."

"Wind Guardians?" I wondered.

"You told us you didn't want us to go," Gabumon replied.

Tsukaimon smiled. "That's right... we want to repay you... 'hero'."

"Hero?"

* * *

It didn't take long for us to decide that plane was the quickest way to Shimane. Gomamon was happy that he didn't have to be crammed in that bag any longer and kept our spirits up during the trip. I kept checking my watch while also trying not to let me nerves get to me. I'd never been on a plane before. Hiroaki noticed my uneasiness. He noticed a lot of things. I could see where Yamato's observant nature came from.

"My son can handle his own, at least for awhile."

"...it's the after "awhile" part I'm worried about," I responded. "I've been meaning to ask, why did your wife sound strange to you?"

"She sounds like she did right before the divorce. Impulsive, scared... I think..."

"What?"

"Well, what _did_ Yamato tell you?"

"Probably stuff he hasn't told anyone else..."

"I see. Well, I think... the cancer's back."

"Cancer?"

"After the shooting, they found cancer in her brain," Hiroaki explained, looking out the window. I was staring at my shoes. "It effected her judgement."

"Does Yamato know?"

"He should, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's forgotten or just flat out doesn't care. Would you?"

"I suppose not... still... Ugh," I groaned, checking my watch again. "By the time we get there, two more months... please tell me you have an immediate plan."

"Have you ever heard about the Mirror Pool?"

"I think I remember reading that if you place a paper in the water and a coin, how ever long it stays afloat is supposed to be how well your marraige-" I stopped myself, realizing what I was saying.

Hiroaki just smiled, "It's okay. Although, for the record, mine did stay afloat awhile."

"...so, you think that it's a portal to the Digital World, why?" I pondered. I petted Gomamon, not minding the look from the other passangers. It was more of a nervous tick anyway.

"It is said that an Orochimaru once passed through there. So, perhaps, there is some form of weak link there."

"Better than nothing and it's on the way," I admitted. "Still..."

* * *

I was back home again. Except... I was little. Takeru was just a baby. I had just come home from school. Mom was writing a new article for the paper and Dad was still at work at the TV station. I set down my things and flew over to Mom to look at my little brother. That was when she threw her hand at me and I fell back. But I didn't cry.

Another month goes by... and Mom grows more irritated. She trips sometimes and has bad migraines. I don't know what to do, except follow what have become her orders. I feel like I take care of my little brother more than she does. I even saw him take his first steps... but Mom...

It's Summer break. Dad is out of town working on a big story, but Mom's home. She had just finished doing the dishes. She sits down and craddles Takeru until he falls asleep. Still, as I play with my Sentai toys, she looks over at me. I don't understand that look. Perhaps I did something wrong? Or, was she afraid to ask me something?

One day I asked her.

_"You initiated it."_

I asked her...

_"That was when it started!"_

Tsukaimon? No, that's my father's voice. Or... I can't tell...

Her lips were pressed against mine. A mother kisses her son, sometimes... but not like that. She quickly pulled herself away and put Takeru to bed in his room. I sat on the floor and wondered what I did to make her do that.

_"Yamato..."_

Gabumon?

"Yamato!"

I opened my eyes. How long had passed now? The last thing I remembered was Tsukaimon and the village. I swore I had heard Gabumon's voice a second ago. That was when I rolled over to stand and felt the gentle skidding sound of something next to me. I couldn't see in the darkness. I checked my Digivice. It was there. My crest and tag were around my neck, too. I took the Digivice out, to use as a light. No dice. In fact, I couldn't even see that it was working at all, unlike normal.

"Gabumon?" I asked in the dark. _Don't get scared, Yama. This is cake compared to the crap you've been forced to choke down before. _"Gabumon, where are you?"

I crawled around the room... the void... I wasn't sure where I was. All I knew was that we had been talking to Tsukaimon. Slowly, it began to come back to me.

"You're a human right? So, you're the ones that call themselves 'heroes'. Some heroes you are, leaving the Dark Masters behind to do whatever they want!"

"What? We didn't even know they existed!" I remarked.

"Ha!" said a Deramon. "Real funny!"

"How did you not know they were slowly taking down the Sovereigns?!" cried a Kiwimon.

"S-Soveriegns?!"

"The Harmonious Ones that protect our world," Gabumon explained.

"...how were we supposed to know?" I demanded.

"Don't listen to them, Yamato. We wouldn't be strong enough to defeat them if we tried, anyway!" Gabumon reassured me. "But that doesn't mean we won't save you all," he told the Digimon on the Wind Guardian's City.

"Fine, you won't fight them? Then we'll leave you to die like you did to us!"

"You don't understand," I breathed as I was pelted with various bubble attacks. They stung, kind of like a rubber band snap. Then, a Woodmon approached and fired a storm of splinters. Gabumon stood in the way. "You don't understand, we didn't know... there's nothing we could do! I'm stuck here, just like you...!"

Gabumon turned back to me and was hit with something much stronger than any Woodmon or Tsukaimon... The blast hit him so hard, the horn on his head slammed into me and I passed out...

* * *

The house in Shimane was very traditional. The entire town could be driven through in about ten minutes flat. When we approached, Natsuko and Takeru were already there, and it didn't look pretty.

"I'm not handing him to you until my husband gets here!" Natsuko demanded, holding Takeru by the shoulders. The kid seemed a little more scared than he should...

Then I turned to Hiroaki. He smiled at the comment. Some part of him still loved his wife, even if his brain knew that them being a family again would never be possible. Then, the smile faded as he witnessed his mother poking at Natsuko with a broom, like a stray cat.

"Mother," he sighed, rushing over to them. I held Gomamon in my arms and hung back at first, but after the fight was broken up, I felt more comfortable being included.

Natsuko heard me approach and glared, "What is it with those stupid stuffed animals you kids are carrying? Aren't you a little old for that?"

In my head I thought, _Aren't you a little old for your son?_ But I couldn't say something like that, even if I hated this woman was much as Yamato did. Still, with the newfound information about her cancer, I wasn't sure what to think. You couldn't blame her for her lack of control, but still, the fact that her urges existed somewhere deep down anyway was alarming.

While I was thinking, Hiroaki had somehow pried Takeru from Natsuko's arms. "Now, look. It's just temporary. I promise. Right, mother?"

"Meh, temporary my rear end... come on Takeru. Let's go make Dinosaur Cookies."

"Alright!" Takeru exclaimed, rushing into the house with his grandma.

I suddenly felt what Yamato probably felt all the time. A sense I didn't belong, a sense I was the one to blame for the conflict. My parents weren't perfect, but I couldn't imagine dealing with this pressure day in and day out, especially given the circumstances.

"I see why Takeru's so cheery... he's either very naïve or in denail," I whispered to Gomamon.

"This is Kido, Jyou," Hiroaki said. I looked up, blushing. Had she seen me talking to Gomamon? Aw, who cares. She probably thinks I'm insane anyway. "He's a friend of Yamato's and it may sound crazy, but he's bringing Yamato back."

"Really?" Natsuko breathed. She grabbed Hiroaki's shirt. "Promise me?"

He shoved her away. _I guess all the love in the world can't fix how he really feels._ "Look, Natsuko. I'm taking you to the doctor."

"No," she said. "No."

Cancer was a traumitizing thing. She probably had forgotten bits and pieces. I tried to see things from her point of view. She had to deal with all this hate from every direction, even from Yamato, who was her son and was now missing. So scared and worried, she was struggling with the fact that she hadn't won the war, but merely a battle. She probably wondered if she had done the same thing again and blamed herself over and over. Yet, deep down, she couldn't hide the monster she was.

"Jyou," Gomamon whispered.

"Don't talk," I hissed.

"But look Jyou, everyone's gone inside."

"Oh... I guess I was distracted..."

"Yamato's family needs to chill out," Gomamon remarked.

I smiled. Good old Gomamon. "It's not that easy... Let's just head inside before we look like bad guests."

"Jyou, what about the rift?" Gomamon insisted.

"You're right... but I can't just interrupt Mr. Ishida."

"Just ask him where it is, Jyou... every second counts!"

Then, Hiroaki appeared on the porch. He smiled at me, "Are you coming? I thought you wanted to see the Mirror Pond."

I could see Natsuko in the background, staring at her shoes. I bet she was one of those imaginative girls that believed what some stupid pond myth said about your marriage... "Coming!" I called.

* * *

I felt around in the dark once more, finding something round, grainy. It rolled under my fingers. I tried to steady it. I moved closer towards it and realized there was light at the far corner of the room. The object rolled across, barely showing the top of itself as it hit the light, as if it would recoil back into the dark beside me. I could see the white, chalky texture, broken up by long, blue streaks... a pattern I recognized, now plastered all over a simple, little egg.

"Gabumon?" I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.


	5. Chapter 5: Out on a Limb

Left Behind: Chapter 5

Episode 33: Out on a Limb

A/N: There are some references to V-Tamer 01, which I've taken a little libery with... but you don't need to have read it to understand the story. It merely uses locations and twists some already existing characters backstories where it fits with the canon as much as possible. Think of the this version of Folder being a paralell to the one in V-Tamer. Also, I do apologize for not focusing on the other kids as much, but mostly the same stuff happens as the original anime, given it may take them longer to get things done... but I explained a bit here. I try to stick to the Japanese terms as much as possible, but I do use the American names for Digimon Evolutionary Stages, just because I know them better. I hope it's not too confusing! Anyway, enjoy and please R&R!

The shrine wasn't far from the Ishida's home. The entire town looked like one big history book. There were a few people visiting the shrine nearby and a couple down at the Mirror Pool. Hiroaki smiled weakly as we approached the pool, then stood in front of it as I slowly made my way down to meet him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, at first perhaps to look solemn, the way Yamato did sometimes to get my attention, but then, I saw him take out a smoke as he took a quick glance back to the house.

"Those will kill you one day," I joked, even if it was a serious issue.

He chuckled, at least. "Here... do what you came to do, kid."

_Kid? _"O-Okay," I said, setting down Gomamon.

"Let's go for a swim!" he smirked. I just rolled my eyes. _Sure, Gomamon. I'll just go drown._

I grabbed my Digivice and gave it a look-see. "Well, here goes nothing..." I said, holding it up.

"Jyou-kun!" Takeru cried. I turned to see him hopping down the stairs. "Take me with you!"

Natsuko stood at the precipice. She must have followed him. "Takeru," I whispered as he plunged into me with a hug, "It's dangerous..."

"Please, please take me with you."

"Takeru! You're not going anywhere. Listen to him. It's dangerous," Natsuko ordered, meeting us down at the edge of the water. Hiroaki finished his cigarette.

"I have to agree with her, Takeru," he said.

"I promise I'll bring your brother home," I reassured him.

"How are you bringing my son back?" Natsuko demanded. "Why are you here?"

"Nat," Hiroaki started, but then, Natsuko pulled a gun from her jacket and raised it at us.

I screamed like a schoolgirl. I don't deny it. She flung the gun my direction and I zipped up. "Easy, uh..."

"Natsuko, put the gun down," Hiroaki said. "Jyou here will bring Yamato home. Not that he wants to see you. If you just get some help..."

"Enough out of you... I want my son back!" she screamed, shaking the gun at us. "Take ME with you. Now."

"I-I can't. It doesn't work that way."

Natsuko shoved Takeru aside. Hiroaki tended to him as Natsuko started towards me. I began to take a step back and nearly fell into the lake. Gomamon grabbed my ankles and as I balanced, I found myself nearly kissing the barrel of the gun. Suddenly, the sky opened up much like it had the day the others and I, including Yamato, had left the Summer camp...

I was lifted into the air. Gomamon floated just as easily.

Natsuko screamed and jumped out at me, grabbing my ankle.

"Jyou!" Gomamon cried.

I kicked, but I couldn't shake her loose. "Please, Miss Takaishi... it's dangerous!"

"Take me to him..." Natsuko breathed. "You don't understand. I have to tell him I'm sorry!"

"Miss... Takaishi," I whispered. I realized then that we had all assumed the worst about her. She was just trying to find some redemption for all the things she had done and it was driving her insane. I couldn't have kicked her loose if I was able to, as we were far above the lake now. I could see the surprised faces of the couple, of Yamato's grandparents... but Takeru watched with worry and Hiroaki just watched as his wife and some kid he had only met hours ago, were sucked away into the sky...

* * *

Taichi and the others gathered quickly that morning, hopefully to exchange notebooks regarding the 8th child and discuss what to do about Yamato's "disappearance". However, as Taichi had a tumbling tower of books and other junk fall on him, he heard the TV blaring from the living room: "Just last night another child who attended the summer camp has gone missing."

Taichi, with help from Agumon, crawled out from under the books and dashed into the living room. His Mom gave him a look and watched on as well.

"Kido, Jyou, one of the upperclassmen, was reported missing last night after he supposedly ran away from home. However, he hasn't been seen since. This may be tied to a serial killer targeting only kids who attended the summer camp. We'll have more information as soon as possible. In the meantime, it is reccomended-"

Taichi's mother held her hand to her chest a moment, staring at her son. "Taichi, I know you and your new friends are supposed to meet today... but... well, I'd rather you didn't go out."

"But Mom! It's important!" Taichi protested.

"I'm sorry, Taichi. If their parents are willing to drop them off, I would be happy to have your friends over."

Taichi knew there was no arguing with her. Perhaps he could just sneak out if his Mom's plan didn't work. He was sure that no one else's parents would let their kids go galumphing about, either. Not after stupid Jyou went and got himself stuck in a hole or something, Taichi figured.

He went over to the phone and quickly dialed Koushiro's home. "Miss Izumi? Yes, may I speak to Koushiro, please?"

"Taichi!" he cried when he answered, "Jyou is missing?"

"...yeah. I bet you anything he found a way back," Taichi whispered as his Mom passed behind him. "Anyway, we can discuss it all together, but there's a change of plan. Meet at my house-"

"...er, I would, Taichi, but... My Mom won't let me leave. You know how worried she gets about me."

"But we're barely a block from each other!" Taichi cried.

"I know, but looks like we're going to have to do independent searches for the 8th child," Koushiro explained. "I'm worried... without us being able to go and look, Vamdemon..."

"Don't think like that, Koushiro," Taichi urged, "We have to put our faith in Jyou and hope he brings Yamato home... We'll focus on what needs to be done here."

"Is that really the best thing? What if someone else goes off on their own, too? We should all develop a strategy together."

"...alright, Koushiro. Write up an email and send it to everyone. We'll keep in touch that way for now. At some point we're going to have to move out and find this kid, though."

"I hate going against our parents, too, Taichi. I had to put a lock on my door so they won't find Tentomon..."

"It can't be helped. It's not like we can explain DigiWorld to them."

Taichi's mom giggled as she walked back by towards the kitchen, "Some new game you kids are playing?"

Taichi sighed. "I'm going to call around and see if anyone else can come by so we can work out a battle plan."

"Alright, give me a call if you need anything hypothesized," Koushiro said, hanging up.

Taichi called Sora and Mimi. They both agreed to come by. That only left, Takeru. Taichi highly doubted he would be allowed anywhere, but decided to give the Ishida house a call, since he never had the Takaishi household's number.

The number was a cell number, Taichi noted, before dialing.

Hiroaki answered, "Ishida. Who's calling?"

"Uh, hello sir. My name's Taichi. I went to the same summer camp as Yamato and Takeru."

"Now isn't a good time," he said. Taichi could hear Takeru crying in the background. "Your friend went back to rescue Yamato."

"You mean Jyou?" Taichi breathed.

"Yes. I'm assuming this is about that monster that's making all that fog in the harbor," Hiroaki replied.

"Yes.. I was hoping Takeru could join us. It's really important."

"I'm sorry, but it's really out of my hands now. We're staying in Shimane until Jyou returns, not that we had a choice anyway."

"...I understand. Can't blame a guy for trying. Thank you, Mr. Ishida."

"Wait," Hiroaki started, "I don't know if this matters, but you should know... he took my ex wife with him."

"What?"

"I don't understand it myself, but in case you kids figure out this whole thing, I would appreciate my ex wife returned in one piece," Hiroaki explained. "If you need anything, please feel free to call, but right now, my family needs some time to sort this out. It feels like a dream..."

"Or a nightmare..." Taichi agreed. "Thank you again."

Taichi hung up the phone slowly and returned to his room. As he was nearing cleaning up and explaining to Agumon the situation, Mimi and Sora arrived. They all joined Taichi in his room. Hikari was out in the living room watching the monsters appearing on the TV.

"So, Takeru's stuck in Shimane and now, not only is Yamato missing, but his mother and Jyou, too."

"How awful," Mimi whispered. "What are we going to do?"

"We need to find the 8th Child and more so than ever. What if he or she is the key to returning our friends home? We'll need everyone to defeat Vamdemon!" Taichi urged.

"Taichi, I barely convinced my mother to even let me come by," Sora explained. "I'm worried about Yamato, and Jyou too... what if they need us?"

"THIS world needs us right now, Sora. Don't back out on me, too."

"Back out on you? By searching for the rest of our team, Taichi?" Sora remarked. "Don't worry, I wasn't planning to pack up ship just yet, but maybe I have some concern on what the best thing to do actually is."

Taichi sighed and closed his eyes.

"I'm sure Yamato and Jyou can handle themselves," said Agumon. "We need to make a plan to find the 8th Child."

"I'm worried about the others, too, Sora, but I agree with Agumon," Biyomon replied. "I'm sure the Digital World isn't too dangerous, with Vamdemon gone and Etemon and Devimon destroyed. Let's put our faith in them."

"Now, hopefully they put our faith in us, too," Mimi squeaked.

* * *

I had hit my head on something. Probably a tree branch or a building. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. The glowing woke me up, at first. It was my crest. I stared at it a moment, watching the white-gray aura. "Oh, now you glow," I remarked, sitting up. "Better late than never..."

"Jyou," Gomamon said. "Look around... I don't recognize this place."

I did as instructed and realized we were in some kind of castle. It couldn't be Vamdemon's... it was destroyed! So, where were we? I walked over to the window and looked out. The castle reached high into the air, about where a small plane would be. On the ground, things seemed quiet at first, but then, far below, a few Digimon begin to fight. The way they fought was like two wild animals, as if a stray dog had run into a opposum and they were fighting over territory or food. The battle was truly a bloody one, if you could describe a Digimon fight that way, as chunks of data were tossed around like pinata candy. Quickly, one was killed and the downed one began to flash. However, it didn't revert to an egg or disappear... it just laid there. A true Digimon corpse. Immediately a sickness filled my stomach. I thought I was going to puke and sure enough, I found a nearby plant to do so. Gomamon rubbed my back and looked around, "Jyou, I think I've heard of this place."

"...you hear about a lot of places," Jyou breathed. "You Digimon have a bad habit of knowing soo much but are SO misinformed."

"No... this castle _was_ Vamdemon's at one point. See, he took over the continent of Folder before File Island."

"Folder? And you didn't mention this sooner?"

"We were saving the entire Digital World and Folder didn't seem relevant..."

"Anything else I should know?"

"It's a HUGE continent to the North of File Island... and the Digimon here are really strong. I hear this place has a special power." Gomamon explained, walking around. "Jyou, look!"

I pulled my head out of the leaves for a moment to look at where my Digimon's so-called hand was pointing. There was a very familiar pedastal. A very familiar door. "What?! This is the room where we went to the real world!" I shrieked.

"No," Gomamon reminded, "It's like... a practice room, almost."

"A prototype?" Jyou wondered. "I bet you anything it actually works. It's probably a fail-safe."

"Yeah!"

"So, we have a way home already. Now we just need to find Yamato!" Jyou cried, standing up. He smiled down at Gomamon and the Digimon smiled back. He was happy his friend could smile again.

"Well, let's get to lookin'!" Gomamon said, and the two of us headed down the first passage of many in the giant, dark castle. Above us slept many PicoDevimon. I wasn't thrilled at the thought of them waking up, either, after all the trouble we had with the last one.

Then, we heard a tiny clank, clank, clank. Gomamon and I backed up against the wall. A light was moving towards us. A Digimon appeared that looked like a candle. There was a DemiMeramon atop his wick, too. They looked around, making grumbly noises, and then continued the opposite direction.

"That was close," I whispered. "I'm not sure we can take on even a Rookie at this point."

"Oh, so you don't have faith in me? No wonder your crest didn't glow until now," Gomamon remarked. It was a cheap shot, but he was kind of good at that. Sometimes I wished I had a Digimon akin to my personality like everyone else, but then, where would the fun be?

"Jyou," Gomamon started as we continued down the corridoor the Candlemon had come from. "Shouldn't we explore this place, just in case?"

"Just in case what? I doubt Yamato's anywhere near this place and it's crawling with Virus Digimon."

"...I'm just trying to be helpful," the Digimon replied. "I am getting kind of hungry. We haven't eaten proper in almost two days."

"All I have are the snacks that I packed. Here," I said, handing him one. "Besides, remember the last time we ate in a giant castle? Damn food wasn't even real."

Gomamon happily ate the food and then sighed, "You're really worried about him, aren't you?"

I blushed, "Well, he is our friend."

"I may be just a Digimon, but I think even we know what you guys did was-"

"Oh, shut up," I remarked. "Let's look down there. We gotta head that way if we wanna get out of here, anyway." There was a staircase. We headed down into the dark. I pulled out my miniature flashlight and we made our way down the winding staircase. I could hear the sound of water dripping somewhere. It was as if the data of this castle had been taken from every horror movie in existence.

When we finally reached the bottom, I saw something I never wanted to see... at least not without it's other half.


	6. Chapter 6: A future revealed

Left Behind: Chapter 6

Episode 34: A future revealed...

A/N: There may be a slight delay with the next chapter. I'm not sure if the story is where I wanted it to be, but chapter 7 will be up by Saturday evening. I would really love any feedback or comments, even if you're just lurking and happened to read this! :) Thanks!

* * *

I don't know how long it took me to get past the shock and numbness, but the initial thought that Takeru must have had, too, when Angemon passed, went through my mind: My Digimon just died. He'll never be the same because I let him down. I took out my crest and threw it across the room. There was no need for it. I didn't have any friends left.

I took the egg in my arms and slowly made my way over to what felt like a staircase. The stairs hadn't been there before. Almost as if I had stepped out of some dimension and woke from a dream. "Hold on, Gabumon... I'll get you out of here. We're gonna be okay."

Climbing the twisting stairs was awkward, but we managed. When I got to the top I realized we were in some sort of castle. The place was crawling with Candlemon, Bakemon, and PicoDevimon. When I emerged, a slew of them looked at me and I feared the worst. Instead, they just smiled.

"Why, hello there human."

I didn't answer.

"You look like you just came from a very dark place... how would you like something to eat? A nice bed?"

"...I think I'm fine on my own," I told them.

"Now, now, this may look like a dark, dingy castle, but with Vamdemon gone, we don't have to worry about hiding who we really are," a PicoDevimon told me.

I laughed, "I've run into your kind before and you're nothing but liars."

"Hmph, I see. I guess we can go ahead and assume all humans are war marchines, too. Don't think we Digimon don't know what you're capable of, just because we live in another world. Remember, we're _made_ from your world."

"...I appreciate the offer, but I'm just gonna go," I told them.

"Lord Dragomon appreciates the gift and just wants to return the favor," said a Candelmon.

"Gift?" I remarked.

"The Tag and Crest," a Bakemon replied. "They will prove very useful to him."

"...fine, I don't need them anyway," I remarked. "Tell him you're welcome and I'm going."

"No, we insist!" the Digimon started, pooling around me. If I declined enough, it was possible this Lord Dragomon would come after me, or even, all of these Digimon would just destroy me. I didn't have Gabumon anymore, outside that Digitama, so I had to protect him as if he were my own.

"Fine, where to?" I replied.

One of the PicoDevimons led me to a large banquet room. I sat down and not soon after, a Digitamamon in a chef's hat brought me out some normal looking food. When I tried it, it wasn't that bad either. I kept Gabumon tucked into my lap as I ate, as I definetly didn't trust a bunch of evil Digimon, but my stomach burned with hunger and I was willing to risk it.

"So, you're one of those Chosen Children?" one piped. I nodded. "What are you doing here all alone? We heard the humans left this world for good."

"My friends went to stop Vamdemon," I said between mouthfuls of stew.

"Most Digimon feel like you abandoned this world, but Lord Dragomon knows otherwise. He knows you stayed behind to help."

"Help?" I wondered. "I... I can't help anyone..." I dropped my spoon into the bowl, thinking of Takeru.

"The boss doesn't see it that way. He says there's a lot of potential in you."

"I was only left here by accident!" I remarked. "Your master is wrong."

"You're wrong... your friends have abandoned you, human," PicoDevimon responded. "Otherwise, they could have easily come back for you. Do you know how long it's been now?"

"Almost four months..." I whispered, checking my Digivice's time.

"How long do you plan to wait for help that will never come?"

"...yeah, you have a point," I said. "So, what should I do? It's not like I really want to go home anyway. With those Dark Masters about, it's not like I can go make a living somewhere. I'm a sitting duck."

"So, join Lord Dragomon! He wants to help the Digimon and defeat the Dark Masters!"

"Huh, right, so he can take over the Digital World, too."

PicoDevimon laughed, "Yes, well, do you have that much of a choice? No friends, no crest, no _Digimon_. Besides, think of all that hate you've been bottling up. Put it to some good use, come now!"

"Enough," I sighed. "I can't..."

"Can't...?"

I thought about the Digimon's proposition. He was right. Nowhere to go. No one to help me. Powerless. He said... I had _potential_. All this time, I was hoping to evolve further. Instead, even my own Digimon turned against me and evolved on his own... without me. Here, what if this was what I had been searching for since I arrived and wanted to know my true purpose in the Digital World? Maybe it was to defeat the Dark Masters and help Dragomon. Sure, he was going to take over the place, but what was the point in fighting anymore? I once heard Mimi whisper, _We just keep losing people._ I remember thinking, _Yeah, and whenever we kill or defeat some bad guy, another one is always there to pop up onto the list. _"It's a never ending battle that I'm getting tired of fighting..."

"See, there you go. Now let us help you and your Digimon. I'm sure with proper shelter and food, he can grow up big and strong again."

"...you guys aren't half bad, for evil Digimon," I replied, finishing my food.

I spent the next eight months training at the Dark Castle on Folder. That marked a year in the Digital World. Each day it became more clear to me that I had made the right decision. We would hear word back from spies that the Dark Masters had twisted yet another section of the Digital World: the land, the sea, the sky... but our tower remained vigilant in it's dark corner of the new Digimon continent that the Dark Masters had formed. We hid in the shadows of Spiral Mountain, protected by Lord Dragomon's power. In all that time I had never met the Digimon, but he had never had anything bad happen to me. Even on one occasion... I thought... I might have seen him...

It had been the night I first stayed in Dragomon's Castle. I was just getting settled for the night. Each room was like a glorious medi-evil fortress suite. Four post bed, luxurious windows and carpets, hand-crafted furniture. There was also an ornate mirror not far from the bed. I wasn't really vain, but I admit I checked my hair a few times. I was going to have a scar after that encounter with Tsukaimon. Aside the gloom motif it wasn't so bad. I tucked the Digitama in beside me.

Then, the egg began to shake. When I looked over, I could see the cracking. "You're hatching!" I breathed, tears forming in my eyes. Out popped a Punimon. Nothing strange that I noticed, maybe except he appeared a little faded in color, but the lighting wasn't the best around here, either.

"Good to see you, man," I said, holding the utter shaped jello monster in my hands. He felt like a dog's nose and reminded me of Gabumon. "I'm sorry... that I let you down."

"Puni... Puni!" it said, smiling as best as it could. I fed it a little and then blew out the candle next to me.

I dreamt about my family... and it was strange. They were back together... so better off without me... happily eating at the table... almost like my wish had been granted.

But I awoke to Punimon squeaking. I shot up and turned. He was being carted off by a Bakemon. "Hey, put him down you worn out old sheet!" I remarked, jumping up from the bed.

"I don't think so. We don't need a _human_ on our side, much less this little traitor."

"Puni~ Puni!"

"Punimon..." I breathed.

The Bakemon was about to eat the little thing. I started for the ghost Digimon, but something told me to stop. A feeling. Then, I heard the Bakemon make a sound as if all the wind were knocked out of him. He slumped over and Punimon flew towards me. I caught him, landing on my knees. I looked up and watched as a long tentacle that had appeared from my mirror, dragged the true form of Bakemon away (I would describe such a thing, but it really is too horrible to describe). I tried to relax and held Punimon to my cheek.

"Are you okay?"

"Puni..."

I felt something else now, almost like a sense of safety, comradary, and power. I knew that what I had seen had been Lord Dragomon, watching over us. Sure, I was a tool in his master blueprint, but I was valued. I meant something. I was respected...

So, now, months later, I am pushing Gabumon to his limits. I should mention he isn't the same old Gabumon. He's still just as concerned and gentle as before, but perhaps, like me, he stands up for himself a little better. His black coat shines more than the blue one ever did. He waddles back over to me, asking, "How was that?"

I look at the injured Candlemon, "Fine. I think you're almost ready to evolve further."

"How can I, without a crest?"

"Other Digimon can do it, so can you," I snapped. "Now, get going. Or do you want to be dog chow for when we take down those Dark Masters?"

I had to be hard on him. He had been weak. Destroyed by some rookie Tsukaimon. It was unacceptable. However, I was hard on myself, too. If I let myself down on my own goals, I would skip dinner or train longer. Whatever it took. Lord Dragomon had taken care of me for months now. I owed him, even if deep down, I still wondered about what the right thing was.

* * *

"An empty tag..." I whispered.

Gomamon waddled over to it. "Yamato..." he whispered. "I smell him."

"But the crest... it's gone..." I breathed, holding the lifeless stone in my hands. "That means he was here..."

"The smell is faint, Jyou..." Gomamon urged, "No one's been here in a long, long time... and I'm getting a bad feeling, too."

_Did something bad happen to him? What if he's... No. No it can't be. He wouldn't die in a place like this. That isn't Yamato, that isn't the man I..._

"Jyou," Gomamon urged. "Let's keep looking. Maybe he's still in this crazy place."

"Right," I said, and we trekked back up the stairs and back to where we had seen the Candlemon. _If I was him, where would I go?_ "Hmm, smell anything Gomamon?"

"Not really," he said, shoving his nose across the floor, much like my mom's chihuahua did once. "This place is pretty empty."

We continued walking around, checking each door in hopes of finding anything that would lead us to him or why this castle suddenly had a second Gate in it. Then, we came across a row of fancy rooms. In one, we found an old, broken mirror.

"Creepy," I breathed. Gomamon agreed, then began to rummage. He was good at that.

"Hey, look at this," Gomamon said. "It's Yamato's old jeans."

"How can you even tell?" I asked.

"Do you see any Digimon around here sporting... what are they.. TokiDokis?"

"I doubt Yamato's family makes THAT much," I replied. "Still..."

"See? Here's a bloodstain. It's small, but it was from one afternoon we worked in the diner, remember?"

"...yeah, I remember. That's my blood," I sighed. "Still, see anything else?"

"Yeah, there's his green turtleneck, too," Gomamon replied, checking another drawer.

"Wow..." I thought. Gomamon looked at me. "I just realized... we've been gone just over two years now."

"Two years?"

"A lot has happened in that time, I imagine," I added. "Yamato was here, but I bet he's outgrown these. Let's see if he's anywhere on the perimiter of the castle."

So we continued downstairs. We had the odd luck of running into no Digimon, although I suspected there were no Digimon here, anymore. At the bottom floor we found a banquet hall, a throne room, a kitchen, a training arena, and the foyer. No Yamato.

Finally we braved the outside. The air was thick with dust. The smell of copper. I had never really wondered about Digimon having blood before, but then again, they were pretty thick-skinned creatures. We passed by the same corpse I saw from the window earlier. The entire road leading ahead was littered with them.

"Why don't they just die off?" I asked with concern.

"...they can't, Jyou. Their data is broken," Gomamon explained. "Someone's tampered with these Digimon."

"Just when we thought we left this world in good hands... Gomamon, what happened here?"


	7. Chapter 7: Puppet Power

Left Behind: Chapter 7

Episode 35

Natsuko opened her eyes. She could feel moist earth beneath her nails. Slowly, she sat up. The sun filtered through a canopy of branches above. There was a bird somewhere, cawing. "Where... am I?" She looked around. She was completely alone. "Hello?"

"Well, well, what are you doing in MY forest?"

She turned. A strange puppet thing was standing before her. She backed away and screamed at first, but it just laughed at her. "W-What are you?"

"I'm King of this forest, Pinocchiomon. You're a strange human, for sure. I've never seen one as big as you before," it said.

"I'm here to find my son. Have you seen him?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Please, tell me."

"What's the brats name?"

"Yamato."

Pinocchiomon grew angry and he slammed his hammer down, blowing up a nearby tree. Natsuko shook with fear, which cheered him up for the moment. "Yamato is the name of the Daemon Corps. General and he's been screwing with our plans a long time!"

"You've seen my son then?!" she cried, "Please, I have to tell him I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Pinocchiomon laughed. Now Natsuko was the one bewildered. "Sorry's for losers. You should just forget him and be my friend instead."

"Friend?"

"Sure, why not?"

"But my son is fighting you..." Natsuko reminded.

"So?! I bet he doesn't like you, does he?" Pinocchiomon smiled. "Otherwise why would he willingly stay here?"

"He just needs to know what I have to say."

"I don't know... he's not good at listening to others...and he doesn't play fair!" Pinocchiomon returned his hammer to the holster on his back and walked over to Natsuko. He spun his nose a second and finally spoke up again, "Well, side with me or be destroyed!"

"I just want my son. Help me find him and I'll do anything," Natsuko replied, standing to her feet. She was probably twice his size, but the puppet was still menacing.

He smiled, "Okay, but I make the rules. Got it?"

She nodded. She followed the strange Digimon to his home. The house was strange and almost had a face to it. She saw canons lined up, too. Inside, she was stepping over toys and games, much like Takeru's room. The Digimon just happily walked in front of her until they came to a room with many cameras.

"Welcome, welcome," he smiled. "This is my security base. Oh, and that's my buddy Kiwimon. He helps me with stuff."

"Please to meet you, madam," it said.

Natsuko wasn't sure what to think. "You'll find my son with these?" she wondered, looking at the cameras.

"If he's in my woods, I will... and the pesky brat has been living in them with his horrible army for weeks!" Pinocchiomon barked, shaking his fist at the TVs. "Now, let's find you..."

Natsuko watched the screens change over as the puppet Digimon messed wth a remote with cute little shapes. Soon, there was a somewhat blurry image of a young male. His hair was blonde, like hers. His eyes, blue, like hers. But it wasn't the son she remembered. He was much taller, older, and his hair was longer. He was wearing a white cape with black stripes and there was a scar on his shoulder. He was wearing a black tank top and white pants. He was also wearing boots. There was a large wolf like Digimon under him with the same color scheme as his cape. The wind tossed his hair as he yelled out to an army of Digimon behind him. Natsuko didn't recognize them, but there were large devils, t-rexes, beetles, ogres, and more. All menacing.

Natsuko noted her son's hands. She hadn't seen him go without gloves for years, since he hid the scars underneath them. "That's... Yamato..." she whispered.

"I told you!" Pinocchiomon rolled his eyes. "See? He's a brat! Look at all those stupid Digimon with him... they're trampling my rose bushes!"

"Mr. Pinocchiomon," Natsuko started. He looked at her wide eyed and she realized that was a strange thing to say to him. "Let me talk to him."

"Sure... but only if you can make it to him."

"Don't you have an army to stand up to him?" she wondered.

"I've got plenty of Digimon willing to help ME!" he remarked, rushing off the other direction. Natsuko took a seat on a small, colorful cube. Kiwimon watched her as if he were more hawk than kiwi, and eventually spoke: "Lord Pinocchiomon doesn't like being accused of having no friends. He won't hesitate to kill those that cross him, even once."

"What do I do?"

"You agreed to play with Lord Pinocchiomon, so you will do as he says or suffer the consequences..." Kiwimon explained this as if it were common knowledge. Natsuko was sure it was, to any Digimon. Still, when she turned back to her son on the screen, the look in his eyes scared her. She knew she was partially responsible for what had become of him and would do anything to take it back...

"Hey, look, there's an injured Digimon," Gomamon piped.

"Are you sure it's not another dead one?" I wondered.

"No, look, he's breathing. Come on, help me!"

"What if he's a bad Digimon?"

"Jyou, this is a Gabumon we're talking about..."

"Gabumon?" I wondered, finally paying attention. We had spent the entire hour traversing this road of massacred Digimon and I wasn't taking him seriously until I heard those words. I rushed over to the frail thing and gave it a once-over. I lifted him up and held him in my arms, letting him drink some bottled water. "It's gonna be okay, we'll return you to Yamato soon."

"Uh, Jyou-" Gomamon began.

Then the Gabumon tossed violently and started to wriggle out of my arms, "No, no!" it cried.

"That's not OUR Gabumon," Gomamon said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I replied, setting the Digimon down. He ran a few feet and turned back to look at us. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You're taking me to General Yamato, what should I think?" it shivered.

"General?" I wondered. "What are you talking about?"

"...you must have come from the real world to save us!" the Gabumon cried, noting my digivice.

"Well, sort of. We're here to get Yamato and bring him home, so we can all save both worlds together," I explained.

The Gabumon shook it's head. "Look, if you know what's good for you, you won't get in his way."

"What?" Gomamon questioned. "Can you fill us in? We've been gone awhile."

"But first, what's your name?" I asked, then took a seat on the ground. He hesitated, so I looked in my bag for some crackers and handed him one. He desperately ate it and finally agreed to sit with us.

"My name is Gabo," it said. "I used to live in Star City. It was a peaceful area of Folder... Then, Vamdemon came... and he built that castle you walked out of. One day, just as quickly, he left, leaving only his evil Digimon behind. I don't know what happened, but while Vamdemon was gone, some dark force took over the place... I heard whispers of Lord Dragomon, or even the source of evil in the Digital World: Daemon... Whoever it is, they corrupted this continent, making it their own. One day, a human wandered in. He agreed to fight for Lord Dragomon. That human is now a ruthless general named General Yamato, and he leads the Daemon Corps. in the fight against the Dark Masters."

I had to blink and take all this in. "So, some evil guy took over this place when Vamdemon left and now Yamato is working for him to fight some other evil guys?"

"You got that right," Gabo explained.

"There's no end to evil Digimon, is there?" Gomamon sighed.

"Did you see a Gabumon with him?" I pleaded.

"Like me? No... Yamato has a BlackGabumon, a Gabumon infected with a virus. I assume that's Daemon's doing."

"Dragomon... Daemon...?" I pondered. _Why the Hell had we never heard of these Digimon?_

"Dragomon is an ancient Digimon from another dimension. One of complete darkness! But Daemon... no idea... merely that he is working for Dragomon, too. I'm surprised really..."

"Why?" Gomamon asked.

"I think Daemon would've killed the human by now... he was once commander of the Daemon Corps., hence the name."

"Yamato's in big trouble," I mused.

"But Jyou... Yamato... he... he's changed."

"I don't care," I said, standing, slinging the medical bag over my shoulder. "I know Yamato and he's still in there somewhere. Hiroaki warned me that Yamato can get lost inside his own head... and frankly, I do, too, so I know what's on his mind. He doesn't understand anything, so he's scared and he wants to be strong, but he's doing it the wrong way. You can only bottle things up for a little time before you shatter... So I know that I can bring him around. We're gonna find his crest and get our friend back."

Gomamon smiled, "Yeah, let's go kick some butt!"

"Wait," Gabo whispered. "Let me go with you... you'll need my knowledge if you're as dumb as you sound."

"Hey," Gomamon remarked.

"We don't mind," I replied. "But just one question: who are the Dark Masters?"

* * *

I still hadn't met Lord Dragomon, but I got almost all my orders through someone else: Daemon. He always wore a robe, so I couldn't see his face. I didn't trust him at all, because he never spoke to me about anything that wasn't an order. Sometimes I heard him muttering things, in particular, about Milleniummon and Dark Spores, some brat named Ryo, but I didn't bother inquiring. I was beginning to see how things truly worked in this world and if it was anything to compare our own world, then all my feelings were right. I belonged here.

I would be helping my friends, too, not that they mattered anymore. I alone would take down the Dark Masters and stay in the Digital World with Gabumon forever. Sure, he had grown up a little different, but essentially he was the same old Mon.

"Yamato, they are making you the General of Daemon's army. Don't you think Daemon won't appreciate that?" asked a hungry BlackGarurumon.

I smiled, "Lord Dragomon made me the leader because he knows I can do it. I have the power of the Chosen on my side. I'm the obvious choice."

"What is your plan?" he said inbetween bites of meat.

"Let's take out Pinocchiomon first. He's closest. Besides... ever since that day I saw him when we left Gennai's, I've had a weird feeling about him. Kind of like Ogremon and Leomon. Like I need to face him."

BlackGarurumon agreed. We finished the rest of the meal in silence. The next day, we moved out. We took out anything in the vacinity of the castle. I watched as a Tentomon struggled underneath BlackGarurumon's paw, eventually giving out and fading into something not of this world or beyond it. A digital ghost.

Over the next months I crossed the land that the Dark Masters had warped and made their own. I spread the story that I was the true hero, come to save them through Lord Dragomon. We would free them of the Dark Masters. More and more of them joined our cause as we grew closer to the first of the four evils.

Daemon said he had business to take care of and that he was glad I had gotten his old title. I didn't care. He even told me once he was created as a background process: something to run behind the scenes. He was only a back up plan to me, not that I would need it. But he had one last message to give me: Meet Lord Dragomon at the Lake. Gennai's lake. So I did.

When I arrived, the water was calm, and when I saw the familiar tentacle that had saved Punimon's life, I was relieved. This time, it held something better for me: my crest: and a new tag with it.

"This," came Dragomon's voice. "Is the Crest of Wrath. Daemon crafted it himself."

He set the tag/crest down gently in my palm and I looked at it. The remnant of my crest from a year ago was barely visible beneath the deep orange tint and the new design that looked similar to a sideways L with a mix of prongs extending out heading upwards. I slipped it on, not minding what it meant. At the time, I admit, I felt a tinge of uneasiness. For a second, part of me was missing the kid that just had adventures with the others and was always there to help. I grasped my chest as it burned.

"There is something you need to know," Dragomon's voice garbled from the sea.

"What? Tell me," I demanded.

"The source of your hate is here in this world," he warned.

"And?" I muttered, not giving a damn as to what he was referring to.

He laughed, "Do as you please. I will be free from my prison and require no use for you. Go home. In the end it won't matter for you."

"You'll kill me either way?" I smiled. "The others will never let that happen. They don't need me, so... In the end it won't matter for you, either, Lord Dragomon."

"You're a haughty human. Worthy of that tainted crest. Farewell, human. This is the last time I help you. The next time you see me, I will be descending upon your world. Maybe, I will show you some mercy for having helped me."

I shrugged him off and the tentacle receeded into the lake. He wasn't coming back here, anymore. Unless he was lying, which was a distinct possibility. Having realized such a thing, I knew he would be back for me. He had made me too strong and once I did his dirty work I was expendable. He had even admitted so himself... but that didn't matter. As I admitted: I had no friends, no family, nothing to live for.

"Are you just going to let him destroy both worlds?" BlackGarurumon questioned.

"No," I said. "The others will take care of him."

"The others..."

"...what else do you want me to call those losers?" I replied, tucking the crest under my collar. "Now, come on," I ordered, hopping onto BlackGarurumon. "Let's go already. My army is waiting at the edge of the forest."

* * *

When Pinocchiomon returned, he was smiling. Natsuko watched as he crossed his arms and walked over to her. "See my army?"

She looked out at the screen. There were Floramon, Cherrymon, Woodmon, Deramon, Mushroommon, Garbagemon... the whole entire forest! "You can't hurt my son!" she cried.

"Okay, I can play a game," he laughed. "You have sixty seconds to get to him... and if you don't, you'll be just another victim. Ha, ha, ha!"

Natsuko frowned and stormed out of the house. She went outside into the field. Yamato and his army were up on the hill. Suddenly, the sound of a harmonica was carried on the wind. Natsuko knew it well- Yamato's grandfather had been the one to give it to him as a present for his fifth birthday.

"Yamato!" Natsuko called, the jacket about her waist flapping in the wind behind her.

Then those cold eyes locked onto hers as he stopped playing. She watched his mouth form the words, "Kill her." She could hear them alongside the remnants of the harmonica and took another step forward.

"Yamato, I'm sorry! I wasn't myself. I was very sick. Please, listen to me!" she called.

The blonde just raised a hand and mushed his army forward. She gasped as a horde of monsters headed her way. She tried to brush through them, but ended up tripping over either her own feet or the feet of a monster. She looked up at Yamato, who watched from afar, waiting for her impending death.

She called out to him again, but as he watched he could only hear his own nightmares driving him forward as he ordered BlackMetalGarurumon onward into the battlefield.

* * *

A/N: I'm going to be the first to admit, this fic hasn't been my best work, but it's an idea I wanted to tinker with. I want to thank all who have read/reviewed and stuck with this fic because the next chapter is much better and I think you'll all enjoy it! (I promise, Yama won't be a generic a-hole forever. After all, Jyou is coming to the rescue!)


	8. Chapter 8: Minds Under Seige

Left Behind: Chapter 8

Episode 36: Minds Under Siege

A/N: This is one of those 'idea' fics where it just gets updated when I get inspiration. Still, please give it a read and let me know what you think so far!

A/N 2: This is my favorite chapter yet~

Jyou, Gomamon, and Gabo walked until they came across a forest. The sun was starting to set and Jyou found it hard to see under the shadow of Spiral Mountain. Then, he heard a familiar sound... Yamato's harmonica.

"Yamato," Jyou breathed, rushing deeper into the forest. _I know it's him. No one plays like that. The subtle way he squeaks when he plays a C, the hint of breath between notes... it's him. It's him._

"Eh? Wait!" Gabo cried, wiping away a sweat drop. He turned to Gomamon, "General Yamato isn't exactly someone you go running to."

"Jyou!" Gomamon cried. "We can't keep up with you! Jyou!" The little seal galloped across the brush with Gabo trailing behind him.

The blue haired boy ran as fast as he could towards the sound, but it suddenly stopped. Still, he trusted his heart. He looked around and then heard the sound of a stampede. He went towards it and reached the clearing in front of Pinocchiomon's house. Natsuko was a few feet away, trying not to get trampled. Jyou scanned the area for Yamato and found him riding his BlackGarurumon down the hill. Jyou was breathless. Yamato had aged beautifully, but when he looked into his boyfriend's eyes, he saw nothing.

"Yamato!" he called.

"Oh, the calvary," Yamato muttered, kicking BlackGarurumon in the ribs. He came to a stop and did a quick turn to sneer down at Jyou... then Gomamon and Gabo. The sight of the non-infected Gabumon tugged at him but he distracted himself, turning to Natsuko. "Kill that woman while I take care of these losers!"

"Yamato, I'm so glad you're okay!" Jyou cried, not realizing what the blonde had just ordered or the fact that he had completely been ignored. He rushed over to Yamato, but he was stopped by the heft of BlackGarurumon's snout.

"Go home, Jyou," Yamato ordered.

"I'm here to get you," Jyou said, the wolf snot soaking through his vest. A steam of breath rose from the nostrils and forced him tumbling back. Gabo and Gomamon caught his legs in their flimsy arms.

"Yamato, we need you," Gomamon told him, "Vamdemon is still out there, trying to find the 8th Child!"

The blonde gave a long laugh, "Idiots. Lord Dragomon will stomp all of you before he even gets the chance to find this kid... who probably doesn't even exist anyway."

"Listen!" Jyou pleaded, reaching out and grabbing the other's hand. For only the second time he saw the scars underneath, except now they were long faded. Nearly three years had passed. "I tried to come back sooner..." Jyou continued, trying to control his tears. "I don't care what happened, I just want you back."

Yamato smirked, "I need no one, but if you insist on following me, help me kill that woman."

"No," Jyou breathed. "I promised your father she would come home in one piece."

Yamato kicked BlackGarurumon again and he was off, heading straight for Natsuko, who stood like some maiden waiting to be rescued.

_I can't believe I'm doing this._ Jyou thought, chasing after him. "Yamato, wait!"

Meanwhile, Pinnochiomon thumped his fingers against his monitor. "I'm tired of waiting. Let's go destroy them all."

"Wait, Lord Pinnochiomon," urged Kiwimon. "That blue haired boy is of signifigance to the child this woman seeks. Let us take him."

"Hmm..." the wooden marrionette watched as the blue haired boy stumbled and struggled across the clearing, following the monstrous BlackGarurumon. "He might be fun... I'm going. Guard my home."

Kiwimon nodded, watching as his master left.

Yamato stopped inches from his mother's face. "You. Does your lust have no end?"

"Listen to me, son," Natsuko started. "What part of me you saw... it isn't the real me. I've done nothing but love you since the day you were born. I came all the way into this strange world to find you, to beg you to come home! Look at you... you're growing into a fine young man."

Yamato chuckled, "Too _old_ for you?"

Natsuko scrunched her eyes, "Please, Yamato. If you won't come home for me, come home for that weird little friend of yours that wants you back. And your brother and father. Please! I don't care if you ignore me the rest of your life, but running from your problems will never help you. Please, hate **me** if that is the only thing that will make you my son again."

Yamato listened intently, debating his options. He could return home... but should he trust this woman? Long ago he had and it ended disastrously. He was breathing heavy as he weighed betraying himself and Lord Dragomon in one swoop. However, Dragomon wasn't returning. Niether was Daemon, surely.

"I will do one thing," he decided finally as Jyou caught up to him. The blue haired boy caught his breath and reached out for Yamato's hand. He took it, daring the blonde's attention once more. He snickered and turned back to his mother, "I promise to hate you forever."

The blood orange crest around his chest began to glow so brilliantly that anyone in their little circle was blinded. Yamato screamed as he was tossed from his mount and landed near his mother. Jyou rushed over to them, but stopped when he saw Pinnochiomon, wielding his hammer.

"We got trouble," Jyou gulped as Gomamon and Gabo joined him.

Yamato clutched at his collarbone, the light seeping through his fingers. "My dream of seeing you dead will come true... Dragomon promised me this!"

Natsuko stared down at her son, eager to take all blame if he would just come home, but something strange floated over her and she could only see the handsome blonde before her. She pulled him up next to her. Helpless from the pain of his wrath, Yamato couldn't move as his mother brought him close to her and put her lips on his.

"BlackGarurumon-" Gomamon squealed worriedly. He hid behind Jyou and Jyou watched as the Digimon as he was surged with power. He changed into a form niether had seen nor thought imaginable. "He's stronger than an ultimate..."

"BlackMetalGarurumon," Yamato breathed, spitting in Natsuko's face. He pulled away from her grasp for a second and then outstretched his arms, tightening around his mother's neck.

"Yamato, stop!" Jyou breathed. _I guess I can bring her back whole this way, but I don't think a corpse made from your hand was what your father had in mind!_

"Time for me to get in on this little game!" Pinnochiomon cried. He turned to Yamato's army, brought motionless from the light of his crest, and then wiped out half of them with one blow. Then, he tossed his strings at Natsuko, breaking her free of her son's hatred. She wobbled over to a scared-to-death Jyou and grabbed him quickly before 'flying' off with him towards Pinnochiomon's fortress.

Yamato clenched his fists and gave out an angry yell. "Give them back," he seethed.

Pinnochiomon laughed and danced, "Only if you call off your goons! And promise never to attack me again! _I'm not the only Dark Master you know..._"

"Done," Yamato hissed.

Pinnochiomon let Natsuko from his grasp and tossed her at her son, before returning to his fortress. Clearly having surrended, the remainder of Yamato's army started to leave. From the sky Pinnochiomon watched as Yamato demanded BlackMetalGarurumon destroy them. "I like his style," the puppet noted with a nod. "A shame that overgrown octopus got a hold of him and not _me_."

As BlackMetalGarurumon slaughtered what was left of his own army that didn't manage to flee, Yamato watched with a smile as every little thing felt every ounce of his hate.

"Yamato, make him stop," Natsuko pleaded, watching the limbs of dead Digimon fly across the field. She grabbed her son's arm and tugged, still begging him to stop. "Yamato!"

"What do you want?" the blonde remarked, turning to her. Well, as much as seeing the side of his face _counted_. "You'll be dead next."

Natsuko began to cry and dropped to the ground, "I don't understand what's going on. These feelings were supposed to go away."

Yamato laughed from the back of his throat, "Haven't you figured out your just a very sick human being?"

"I'll lock myself away. I'll never see you again... I can't stand seeing what you are, Yamato." He scoffed at her. "You were a bright kid who loved making friends... then, _you_ decided that you were different and pushed them all away."

The blonde turned and elbowed her in the face, watching her fall to the ground. Natsuko held her nose and Yamato's blue eyes stared with disdain as the blood seeped through to her knuckle, over her wedding ring. "Don't talk to me about friends. They left me here for _three years_, alone, in this Hell!"

"Have you even wondered why your friend hasn't aged a day?!" Natsuko screamed, sending blood splattering across the grass.

The field was silent outside her breath and BlackMetalGarurumon's footsteps as he walked over beside his tamer, having finished his duty. Yamato didn't flinch the entire time, his hair tossing itself in the wind. He stared down his mother as she struggled to say anything more.

"He's here because he loves you!" she screamed and starting sobbing into the ground. "The same reason I'm here... except... I'm still as tainted as you... I've been denying it for months now, but I'm sick again... I want you to leave me here, Yamato. Go find your friend, because all he did while you two were seperated was count down the seconds that turned to days to years... beating himself up for what felt like more of an eternity to him than you can even comprehend."

"BlackMetalGarurumon, kill her," Yamato breathed, raising his lip at the pathetic form before him.

The Digimon hesitated, raising his paw, opening his jaw, but he couldn't.

"I have you an order," Yamato seethed. "Rip her throat open!"

"No," the Digimon said, backing away. Yamato turned back to the frail woman, a darkness surrounding her body and causing her to scream with pain.

Jyou struggled in the puppet Digimon's strings as he lead them up a huge stairwell. "You'll make a wonderful toy for me," he chuckled, throwing around a magnum against Jyou's cheek with a free string. "Wanna play?"

"Not really," Jyou admitted. "Um, not to sound like Mimi, but Mr. Puppetguy, where are we going?"

"Your room!" the Digimon cackled.

"Oh, great... even in the Digital World I'm grounded," Jyou sighed, giving into the strings holding him. Soon, they came to a door which Pinnochiomon kicked open and then the strings snapped, sending the boy flying.

"I'm keeping you a little while... Piemon demands that General Yamato stop and without his army which he so beautifully destroyed, I am free to kill him! It's going to be so much fun!"

"You can't kill Yamato. That's not..." Jyou tried to defend the boy, but how could he? Jyou kept remembering how he had mercilessly strangled his own mother. She was probably dead by now. Further, Jyou thought, _He chose her over me. He'd rather kill his mother himself than rescue the only person he could ever trust..._ "And Gabumon... what in the world happened to him? How can he allow this?"

"Look, I don't make the rules," Pinnochiomon said, "Well... I do, actually. But I didn't make that kid what he is. Take that up with that barrel of squid ink called Dragomon."

"Dragomon... the guy Yamato works for," Jyou wondered as the door was slammed shut. He heard it lock and took a moment to look around. His room looked like a playground, not a bedroom. In the corner sat a large stuffed bear... a Monzaemon, actually, however, upon closer inspection, Jyou realized he was truly _stuffed_. Shivering, Jyou opened a large toy trunk.

Wide eyed, he exclaimed, "What kind of toys are these?! Grenades? Knives? Darts? What the Hell is wrong with this place?!"

"Master," started BlackMetalGarurumon.

Gomamon and Gabo watched as a darkness formed a circle around Natsuko. That same darkness, they had witnessed, relenquished Yamato in the form of a spore, although he seemed unaware of it. BlackMetalGarurumon started fading away with the darkness, splitting into a twilight of light and dark. All of the light settled in front of Gabo.

Gomamon glared as he watched the scene before him. His tamer gone, now all this weird darkness that had no place in the Digital World was making up it's own rules. He dug his claws into the dirt.

"Yamato," the human's mother squeaked and for a second, the blonde seemed to remember the part of himself he had tossed away.

"Mom?" he questioned. "Mom?"

"You called me Mom... Yamato..."

"What's wrong with you?" he breathed, leaning down at her side. The dark force surrounding her tossed him back and the general skidded across the open field a good ten feet before he stopped. He groggily picked his head up. In fact, suddenly, he caught himself staring down at his own hands. "What's wrong with me...?"

His Mom cried out and his heart stopped. A dark vortex opened up behind her. Yamato stood on jelly legs and stumbled closer, squinting. There was an ocean behind her. He could see a lighthouse emitting dark light. "Mom!" he called out. "Mom!" He rushed over to her and grabbed her hand, but she slipped from his grasp like a broken doll into a drain. Tears in his eyes, the portal closed in front of him, his mother disappearing with it. Yamato collapsed, wiping his blurred vision away.

"Gabumon..." he whispered, turning to Gabo. "You're Gabumon..."

The light was filling him and slowly his scruffy, somewhat challenged appearance started to look like the old friend Yamato knew well. He rushed over to the Digimon and hugged him and as he did so, the Crest of Wrath shattered. Yamato clutched his chest as the bright blue light returned to him. "My... crest..."

"Yamato," Gomamon said, stamping his foot. "That evil Digimon took Jyou."

"I... I know," Yamato breathed. "What... happened to me...? Everything's hazy. Did I almost kill everyone?" The blonde turned, his blue eyes scanning the field. As he saw the Digimon corpses breaking up into the sky, tears filled his own eyes. "Did I kill all those Digimon?"

"Nevermind that. You're the only one who can save Jyou!" Gomamon demanded, putting his flipper on Yamato's hand. He turned to Gabo... Gabumon. "Glad to have you back, too, buddy."

"Likewise. Well, Yamato?"

"...what the Hell is wrong with you two?" the blonde cried. His heart, once filled with hatred, was now empty. His mind once free of shame and guilt, now weighed itself down with sorrow and regret. "Do you two even give a damn about what I've done?! Whatever had me took my mother!"

Gabumon cringed as his tamer's voice cracked. Tears were flowing down his cheeks freely and it was an odd sight to see. He walked over to Yamato, putting a fluffy paw on his back and giving a gentle nade-nade. "Yamato, I knew you were better than this. I'm proud of you."

"...what?" he sniffled.

"You could have just stayed that part of you forever. I had also found the darkness in myself and overcame it with you. Now, your mother faces that challenge. If you really can forgive her, then surely, she can fight this, too."

"What about JYOU?!" Gomamon barked. "Fuck all of you," he blurted, throwing a hissy fit. "I'll go save him myself!"

"Goma," Gabumon started, walking in the path of the angriest seal ever to exist. "Let Yamato regain his senses... sort this out. For us, it has been two long years of pain. See how fractured he is? He loves Jyou and this is killing him more than it is you."

"I doubt that," Gomamon remarked. "Your tamer is nothing but evil."

"Hey!" Gabumon retorted.

"Stop fighting," Yamato said, spitting up nothing in particular, as if getting a bad taste from his mouth. "Stop... what happened to me could've happened to _anyone_. Gomamon is right about one thing. We need to find Jyou. There's no time to rest. He was the only one who had the balls to come get me..." The blonde stood and dusted himself off. _I had some horrible fashion sense._ "I'm going to return the favor."

"That sounds like the Yamato I know," Gabumon nodded.

Gomamon was still unsure, but Yamato wasn't stopping for a rest. Jyou didn't. He marched off in the direction of Pinocchiomon and choked back tears as he hoped his mother would be able to hold on long enough for him to admit his forgiveness.


End file.
